KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) detained crew members have been allowed to return to the country via PK flight 788 after three days. The dozen and a half crew members had been stopped by UK authorities after the discovery of heroin from the plane.
The captain of the flight [PK-785] had already returned to Pakistan the other day. Upon their arrival, the crew was debriefed by the PIA Vigilance GM and then allowed to exit the airport after their statements were recorded.
On May 15, after the PIA plane landed at Heathrow airport in London from Islamabad, UK border authorities carried out a thorough search of the plane on suspicion of narcotics smuggling and reportedly questioned and detained crew members, including the captain of the plane.
According to local media reports, a spokesman for UK National Crime Agency, responsible for investigating the incident stated that no further information regarding the incident could be disclosed at the moment. However, the authorities confirmed that drugs had been found concealed within the PIA aircraft.
Further investigations are under way by the UK authorities.
